Welcome to Tromsø – The gateway to the Arctic

  • Tromsø is a vibrant Arctic city surrounded by spectacular nature, located at 69 degrees north, 350 kilometers above the Arctic Circle.
  • Home to over 79,000 people, Tromsø is known for its rich cultural life, northern lights, and midnight sun.
  • Whether you come for adventure, work, or a thriving community, Tromsø offers a unique blend of urban life and breathtaking wilderness.

Have you just moved to Tromsø?

To help you get the best possible start in Tromsø, we invite you to an informal welcome meeting on Thursday, 18 December 2025 from 18:00 to 20:00. The event is free of charge, but registration is required.

We are a multicultural society with growing immigrant and international population, and people from 138 different countries live here as of March 2023. This adds rich variation to the atmosphere of the city.

Source:

Tromsø is situated in the Arctic, defined as the region between the North Pole and the Arctic Circle. The municipality is surrounded by stunning fjords and mountains, offering breathtaking landscapes in every direction.

Tromsø shares its borders with Balsfjord to the south, Storfjord to the east, and Karlsøy to the northeast. The combination of coastal and mountainous terrain creates a unique environment where nature and city life blend seamlessly.

Tromsø stands out as a fishing municipality, with both fishing and aquaculture. Advanced expertise and technology are found within fields such as information and communication technologies (ICT), arctic science and life sciences. In recent years, the tourism industry has become more and more important.

Tromsø has a so-called subarctic climate. This means long winters and short summers. The Gulf Stream passes Tromsø, which means we never have really cold winters. It varies how hot it gets in the summer, but the average temperature for the whole year is 3,3 degrees Celsius. About 1050 millimeters of precipitation falls annually.

Tromsø has a varied cultural scene. Its cultural offerings can be found in different festivals, music, art, a lively night life, in addition to famous attractions like the Arctic Cathedral, the Cable Car and the Polar Museum.  

The mountains around Tromsø are varied and many. Whether you want to see the area in more detail, whether you have only time for a short trip, there are plenty of mountains and forests to visit.